Garment finishing apparatus

ABSTRACT

Garment finishing or pressing machine equippage is disclosed that utilizes a closed piping system for indirectly supplying heat continuously at a relatively high temperature through the agency of a circulating, hot fluid, such as steam, interiorly of a garment that may be positioned along a permeable garment bag. The atmosphere of the bag and interior of the garment is supplied with hot air that is heated by the piping system. Perforated jacket or sleeve means is positioned along the piping system and is adapted to, at intervals or periodically, be supplied with a so-called blast of hot fluid in the nature of a moisture containing fluid such as steam. Fluid returning from circulation through the piping system is passed through a heat exchanger for preliminarily heating the air being supplied to the garment.

[ May 13,1975

[ GARMENT FINISHING APPARATUS [76] Inventor: Stanley M. Bailey, 242Washington St., Hamburg, Pa. 19526 22 Filed: Sept. 24, 1974 21 Appl.No.: 508,885

Related U.S. Application Data [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No.469,829, May 14.

[52] US. Cl. 223/51; 223/70; 223/73 [51] Int. Cl A4lh 43/00 [58] Fieldof Search 223/57, 70, 51, 52, 70,

223/72, 73, 74, 76, 79, 80; 38/1 R, l A, 14-16, 71; 68/5 R, 5 A

Primary Examiner-Geo. V. Larkin Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Parmelee,Miller, Welsh & Kratz [57] ABSTRACT Garment finishing or pressingmachine equippage is disclosed that utilizes a closed piping system forindirectly supplying heat continuously at a relatively high temperaturethrough the agency of a circulating, hot fluid, such as steam,interiorly of a garment that may be positioned along a permeable garmentbag. The atmosphere of the bag and interior of the garment is suppliedwith hot air that is heated by the piping system. Perforated jacket orsleeve means is positioned along the piping system and is adapted to, atintervals or periodically, be supplied with a so-called blast of hotfluid in the nature of a moisture containing fluid such as steam. Fluidreturning from circulation through the piping system is passed through aheat exchanger for preliminarily heating the air being supplied to thegarment.

12 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures GARMENT FINISHING APPARATUS CROSS REFERENCETO RELATED APPLICATION This application is a continuation-in-part of myapplicant's application Ser. No. 469,829 filed May 14, I974, andentitled Pants Presser."

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This inventionrelates to improved apparatus for finishing or pressing garments orarticles of clothing, such as shorts, trousers, slacks, dresses, shirts,sweaters and jackets and particularly, to apparatus having a new andimproved fluid supplying means for pressing and creasing garments,utilizing a hot fluid and especially, a combination of fluids. such asair and steam.

2. Description of the Prior Art The Paris US. Pat. No. 3,7l3,567, aswell as my cpending application Ser. No. 469,829 show improved pantspressing machines or apparatus which makes use of expandable leg pairsof endwise-extending blades. My co-pending application discloses a newand improved form of apparatus or equipage utilizing hot fluid forfinishing or pressing a garment, as applied by way of representation, toa pants pressing machine.

The present application deals particularly with garment finishingapparatus employing improved hot fluid supply means, such as illustratedin my co-pending application which has been found to have a somewhatuniversal type of application, in the sense that it may beadvantageously employed not only with machines for finishing pants-likearticles of wear, but also may be employed advantageously to machinesfor finishing other forms of garments, such as sweaters, dresses,shirts, jackets and the like.

The apparatus of the invention meets a problem in the art from thestandpoint of providing a close, accurate control of a finishingoperation, from the standpoint of maximized heat economy, of assuring auniform temperature along the garment, of enabling a quicker and moreefficient operation, of adaptation to the requirements of the many typesof fabrics now encountered, and of enabling the periodic introduction ofmoisture as in the form of a hot steam blast. The hot fluid supplysystem of the present invention makes possible an improved finishingoperation that is easily adaptable to various forms of materials, suchthat a garment may be finished or pressed with a maximum speed andeffectiveness and without danger of damage to or of misshaping itsfabric.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It has thus been an object of the invention todevelop an apparatus or a system that will provide a quick, economical,and improved type of garment finishing operation and that may be bettercontrolled as to its operating temperatures and characteristics.

Another object has been to devise a garment finishing machine, equipageor apparatus that will enable an improved type of steam application andhot fluid control.

These and other objects of the invention will appear to those skilled inthe art from the illustrated embodiment and the drawings thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings, FIG. I is a side viewin elevation, partially broken away, illustrating a finishing machineutilizing apparatus of the invention and showing a permeable garment bagin operating position by dot and dash lines;

FIG. 2 is a side perspective view on a slightly enlarged scale withrespect to FIG. I, particularly illustrating a basic fluid utilizationsystem of the present invention;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are horizontal sections respectively taken along the linesIII-III and IV-IV of FIG. 5;

FIG. 5 is a vertical section taken along the line VV of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 6 is a greatly enlarged fragmental isometric view showing detailsof the construction of a closed-off, loop pipe member system and aperforated, tubularjacket or sleeve-like distribution assembly forproviding an improved distribution of heat and steam along the inside ofthe length of a garment being processed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Although, as previouslyindicated, the present inventionis applicable to various types ofgarment finishing machines and to the finishing of various species ofgarments, for the purpose of simplified illustration, apparatus of theinvention has been applied to a finishing machine of the type shown inmy abovementioned copending application which involves the pressing of apants-like garment.

Referring to FIG. 1, a mounting and support base unit 10 is shown havinga rectangular enclosing housing 11 for an air supply means such asblower 13. Air is drawn into the hollow interior or chamber of thehousing 1] through a screened side Ila, as indicated by the arrows a,and is then directed under forward, positive pressure into and alongduct 14 by the blower 13. The blower I3 may be actuated by. a beltdriving electric motor 12. Air which is thus moved upwardly through theduct 14 (see arrow 12) is heated for utilization. In this connection, itis adapted to pass through and over a heat exchanger 32 which is heatedby a steam-like fluid that has been circulated through closed pipingsystems A, A. Each system is shown positioned along a pair oflongitudinally forwardly extending, transversely spaced-apart supportmembers 35 of the machine. A permeable expander bag B of a suitablefabric material such as nylon is shown mounted at its open back andenlarged end on a front flange structure 15a of support head 15 toreceive the heated air, as represented by the arrows 6.

FIGS. 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the Paris US. Pat. No. 3,713,567 and FIG. 7 of myco-pending application show a typical construction of a permeablegarment bag that is to be used for finishing or pressing a garment inthe nature of trousers, pants or shorts. FIG. II of the Paris US. Pat.No. 3,737,080 shows the use of a bag suitable for processing ashirt-like garment. A bag is preferred but is not essential where asystem of the invention is to be employed. Such a bag is interposed asan intermediate forming agency between support or frame members of themachine and the interior of the garment being finished.

As previously indicated, air or hot fluid is introduced into the garmentbag B or directly into the interior of the garment being finishedthrough a hot fluid supplying support head 15. It is heated by passingused steam that has been previously circulated through one or moreclosed piping systems A, A into the heat exchanger 32 before it isdischarged through downstream piping 33 and an outlet nipple 34 that isshown mounted to extend from the housing 11. The exhaust flow fromoutlet 34 may be then discharged to the atmosphere or returned forreconditioning in the steam generator. Live steam or hot fluid is shownin FIG. 1 as introduced through a nipple 18 from a conventionalgenerator of steam into a condensate separator and trap unit. 17. Liquidcollected in the trap of the unit 17 may be taken off through sidemounted outlet nipple 19.

As shown in FIG. 1, the steam leaves the trap 17 through a main supplyline 21, to pass check valve V (see FIG. 2) and move into branch lines21a and 21b. Both the branch lines are connected to a steam supply anddistributor header 20, but the line 2117 has a control valve V thereinfor supplying, at suitable intervals or periodically, a burst of steamto perforated tubular or sleeve-like jacket diffusion members 30. Thevalve V, may be provided with a remote control 90 that is shown mountedon the housing 11. As shown in FIG. 1, the distribution head 20 ismounted substantially centrally within the support head by cross arms 16that are secured to and extend from front and back flange portions 15aand 15b.

Referring to FIGS. 2 to 5, a continuous flow of heated fluid such assteam may be supplied through branch line 21a, and upper forkedpassageways in the distribution header to closed piping systems or loopsA and A. Each system A and A has an upper, longitudinally forwardlyextending pipe member 25 connected at its outer end by a cross pipemember 25a to a parallel,.lower, longitudinally extending return flowpipe member 26. The pipe members 26 are connected by forked passagewayswithin the header 20 to a downstream or outflow pipe member 31 thatserves as an inlet to the heat exchanger 32.

Steam introduced through branch line 21b passes through forkedpassageways in the header 20, out through short length pipe members 28into crossextending, connector pipes 28a that, as shown in FIG. 6,supply steam to inlet inner ends of longitudinally forwardly extendingdiffusion members 30. The members 30 extend from end connectors 29 in aspaced relation substantially fully as jackets along the upper and lowermembers 25 and 26, of the loop-like closed pipe systems A and A. Steammay thus be directly supplied, as in hot moisture carrying bursts,through the holes, open portions or perforations that are spaced alongthe members 30, see the arrowsfof FIG. 6.

Reference will not be made to a pants pressing machine shown in FIG. 1which has been fully described and illustrated in my co-pendingapplication, and which has been used in the present application as arepresentative machine to which the hot fluid supplying apparatus may beapplied.

Reversible or dual acting fluid motors 50, 60 and 70 areconnected tooperate each pair of pants leg creasing blades 47 through the agency ofrespective upper and lower spread arm pairs 45, 55, and 56. Air underpressure is introduced through inlet 87 into a filter, regulator andlubricator unit 86 and thence, through flexible tubing to the motors 50,60 and 70 and also 80. The

motor 80 is carried on a slide arm 78 by a channel 76 that is adjustablymounted on the support head 15 by mounting brackets and bolts 77. Thumbscrews 79 are carried by channel 76 to adjustably position the arm 78with respect thereto. A fly presser head 85 is mounted on a cross plate84 through the agency of a pair of spaced-apart expansion spring andbolt mounts 84. Piston rod 81 of dual acting air motor is secured to theplate 82 and a guide rod 83 extends through a hole in the arm 78 and isalso secured to the plate 82.

The apparatus provides an excellent finishing of garments without dangerof over or under conditioning and of localized heat-scorching of thefabric. The operations may be controlled by air or electrically toprovide desired sequence and timing. The closed-off piping helps toaccurately maintain the hot air within the bag and the garment at asubstantially uniform desired temperature along length portions of thegarment. A maximum of heat economy is also assured with a controlledoperation that minimizes the time element in accomplishing a finishingoperation. The cooperative mounting of the hot fluid direct applyingmeans 30 in a heat exchange relation with respect to the members 25 and26 of the indirect or closed systems A and A provides a maximum ofeconomy and utilization of heat energy. Air under positive pressure maybe introduced into inlet 87 through an air flow control valve 89 (seeFIG. 1).

I claim:

1. In a garment finishing machine having a support base and alongitudinally extending supporting means carried on the support base, asteam supply header and a hot air supply duct, means for mounting apermeable garment bag along the supporting means for receiving hot airfrom said supply duct, a closed loop piping system extending along thesupporting means and connected at an inlet end to said steam supplyheader for indirectly heating air within the bag, a heat exchangerwithin said hot air supply duct for heating air being supplied thereto,and said closed piping system having an opposite outlet end thereofconnected to said heat exchanger for supplying residual heat from thesteam thereto.

2. In a finishing machine as defined in claim 1, steam applying meanspositioned in a spaced relation along said piping system and connectedto said steam supply header to receive steam therefrom and directlyapply it within the bag.

3. In a finishing machine as defined in claim 2, said steam applyingmeans having open portions therealong, and means for supplying the steamfrom said header through the open portions of said applying means atintervals in the form of a blast.

4. In a garment finishing machine having a support base and alongitudinally extending supporting means carried by the support base, aclosed piping system extending along the supporting means for receivinghot fluid at one end thereof and for exhausting circulated fluid fromanother end thereof to indirectly apply heat along the supporting means,fluid applying means extending along said piping system for directlysupplying hot fluid therefrom, and a distribution header for supplyinghot fluid to the one end of said closed piping system and separately tosaid fluid applying means.

5. In a finishing machine as defined in claim 4, means for mounting apermeable garment bag in an extending relation along the supportingmeans, and said piping heat exchanger and actively into the garment bag.

7. In a finishing machine as defined in claim 4, said hot fluid applyingmeans being cooperatively mounted in a heat exchange relation withmembers of said closed piping system.

8. In a garment finishing machine as defined in claim 4, a pair of hotfluid inlet supply lines to said distribution header, one supply linebeing connected for continuous supply of hot fluid to said pipingsystem, and the other supply line being connected and provided withmeans for periodically supplying a burst of hot fluid to said hot fluidapplying means.

9. In a finishing machine as defined in claim 4, said fluid applyingmeans is in the form of perforated jacket means positioned in a spacedrelation along said piping system.

10. In a garment finishing machine as defined in claim 9, saiddistribution header carrying said piping system and said jacket means,and means for supplying hot fluid in the form of steam to said header.

11. In a garment finishing machine as defined in claim 9, an air supplyduct connected to supply heated air along the supporting means, and saiddistribution header being mounted within said duct.

12. In a garment finishing machine as defined in claim 11, a heatexchanger in said duct connected to the exhaust end of said closedpiping system.

1. In a garment finishing machine having a support base and alongitudinally extending supporting means carried on the support base, asteam supply header and a hot air supply duct, means for mounting apermeable garment bag along the supporting means for receiving hot airfrom said supply duct, a closed loop piping system extending along thesupporting means and connected at an inlet end to said steam supplyheader for indirectly heating air within the bag, a heat exchangerwithin said hot air supply duct for heating air being supplied thereto,and said closed piping system having an opposite outlet end thereofconnected to said heat exchanger for supplying residual heat from thesteam thereto.
 2. In a finishing machine as defined in claim 1, steamapplying means positioned in a spaced relation along said piping systemand connected to said steam supply header to receive steam therefrom anddirectly apply it within the bag.
 3. In a finishing machine as definedin claim 2, said steam applying means having open portions therealong,and means for supplying the steam from said header through the openportions of said applying means at intervals in the form of a blast. 4.In a garment finishing machine having a support base and alongitudinally extending supporting means carried by the support base, aclosed piping system extending along the supporting means for receivinghot fluid at one end thereof and for exhausting circulated fluid fromanother end thereof to indirectly apply heat along the supporting means,fluid applying means extending along said piping system for directlysupplying hot fluid therefrom, and a distribution header for supplyinghot fluid to the one end of said closed piping system and separately tosaid fluid applying means.
 5. In a finishing machine as defined in claim4, means for mounting a permeable garment bag in an extending relationalong the supporting means, and said piping system and said fluidapplying means being adapted to supply heat and hot fluid within andalong the permeable bag.
 6. In a garment finishing machine as defined inclaim 5, a duct for supplying heated air to the garment bag from aninner end thereof, a heat exchanger positioned in said duct andconnected to said piping system for receiving circulated fluidtherefrom, and a blower positioned at one end of said duct for movingair over said heat exchanger and actively into the garment bag.
 7. In afinishing machine as defined in claim 4, said hot fluid applying meansbeing cooperatively mounted in a heat exchange relation with members ofsaid closed piping system.
 8. In a garment finishing machine as definedin claim 4, a pair of hot fluid inlet supply lines to said distributionheader, one supply line being connected for continuous supply of hotfluid to said piping system, and the other supply line being connectedand provided with means for periodically supplying a burst of hot fluidto said hot fluid applying means.
 9. In a finishing machine as definedin claim 4, said fluid applying means is in the form of perforatedjacket means positioned in a spaced relation along said piping system.10. In a garment finishing machine as defined in claim 9, saiddistribution header carrying said piping system and said jacket means,And means for supplying hot fluid in the form of steam to said header.11. In a garment finishing machine as defined in claim 9, an air supplyduct connected to supply heated air along the supporting means, and saiddistribution header being mounted within said duct.
 12. In a garmentfinishing machine as defined in claim 11, a heat exchanger in said ductconnected to the exhaust end of said closed piping system.